As a method of delivering data, which is transmitted from a transmission terminal, to a reception terminal incapable of performing direct radio communication through multi-hop transfer by another radio communication terminal, there is a technology called ad hoc network. In the ad hoc network, it is known that a path between radio communication terminals that form a network is established by using a routing protocol such as DSR (Dynamic Source Routing) or AODV (Ad hoc On-Demand Distance Vector) between the terminals (see, for example, Non Patent Literature 1).
On the other hand, in packet exchange control standardized in the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project), an individual channel for communication sets a radio network controller (RNC) used in first communication establishment as an anchor point and performs control for extending a routing path for data from the anchor point (see Non Patent Literature 2).
In LTE (Long Term Evolution) also standardized in the 3GPP, because the function of the RNC is shifted to an eNodeB, a system for moving the anchor point during handover and switching a data transfer path is adopted (see Non Patent Literature 3).
Patent Literature 1 describes a technology for comparing the number of hops in a routing path in each data transmission and reception generated between specific terminals to thereby detect that a routing path becomes redundant based on an increase in the number of hops and performing, based on the detection, optimization of the routing path and a change of an anchor router (an anchor point). As a method of counting the number of hops, a method employing a TTL (Time to Live) parameter in IPv4 or a hop limit parameter in IPv6 is disclosed.